| Injuries and the desire to blood his youngsters saw the manager include Greg Cameron, Ross Gardiner, Stuart Abbot and Garry Kenneth in his starting line-up, while David Robertson came off the bench.
And, while a late Freddy Daquin strike consigned the Tangerines to a sixth defeat in a row, Craig was pleased with his young side’s general play.
“I thought they played some very good football and, defensively, played very well. Apart from their goal and one shot from Mark Burchill in the first half, I can’t recall a chance Dunfermline had,” he said.
“We still lost and it can be a cruel game, but I asked the boys for real tempo and a good attitude, and they gave me that.”
Last night saw surprise inclusions for David Fernandez, who started, and substitute Lee Miller.
Having been told he was not going to be required for next season, Fernandez had not been considered because Craig felt, mentally, he was not fit to play.
The Spaniard, however, impressed this week and was, therefore, given his chance last night, though the plan to move him out over the summer remains in place.
Miller, meanwhile, had not been expected to play again this season after breaking a bone in his arm against Rangers on April 2.
A spin-off of his early return to fitness — he got half an hour’s action after replacing Collin Samuel — has been an immediate call-up to the Scotland squad for the Kirin Cup matches in Japan later in the month.
On the down side, youngster Stuart Abbot limped off with a suspected broken foot, similar to Wayne Rooney’s current injury.
Goalkeeper Craig Samson, who has been standing in for Derek Stillie since he broke a finger last month, has been told his one-year contract will not be renewed, so he will be moving on after Saturday’s trip to Motherwell. |
